Saturday January 31 - Pacific Highway Cruise -Newcastle

[Aaron]

Trust me people - In some of the BIIIGGG (this is big for AstinaGt but a puddle compared to CCC runs) cruises I've been on the F3 can be considered too small... and trying to wind peopel through back roads to final destinations was crap even with every car having a map and people doing their best to keep the line...

On the freeway we have the ability to move aroudn the lanes, to be a little slower and let peopel past the group (and allow stragglers to catch up)... I suggest a lead car Cruise speed of 100-105kmph in the 110 zones.....

A.

[platypus]

ok and i want you to understand i'm not having a tanty....

i drive the freeway every day (Ourimbah to Hornsby)and its easier to break up a pack on the freeway than a single lane road... while i appreciate the effort some of you have put into your cars, it would of been good to drive some of the old roads.... where there is scenery etc....

soooo anyway, unless someone can convince me otherwise, i'm out.... unless there are still some people that want to leave 15 minutes early... but thats not exactly a cruise is it?

[TwoJays]

Originally Posted by ahb11m

ok and i want you to understand i'm not having a tanty....
<SNIP>
soooo anyway, unless someone can convince me otherwise, i'm out.... unless there are still some people that want to leave 15 minutes early... but thats not exactly a cruise is it?

That's pretty close to a tanty... maybe just a dummy spit :P :P :P

It'd be a shame not to have you along just for that... since I was planning to use accomodation supplied by ODD12C, and KKS/Aaron were going to lead me there... my preference is obviously for the freeway, so they come!

While it's easier to break up a group on the freeway, it's _much_ easier to join it back up again... please look past the roads and at least come for the social side of the event... come on, I know the liquid lunch is _very_ tempting!!!

[sik astina]

Stone chips, bumps, etc
My car may be stock, but there are enough modified vehicles coming along to warrant some leeway for them.

Basically, unless we are sticking to the major thoroughfare's for most of it, I will not be attending this cruise.


Biggest widest easiest to follow roads where everyone can find everyone else etc.
People like Odd Rod have spent too much time and money on their pride and joy to blow it now.

pffft :P :lol: eww stonechip :?

nice smooth roads sounds good. u dont wanna spend all the time on the highway tho.

[arden]

*cough cough*
abh11m,
go to the back corner, face the wall and put ur hands on top of your head!! :twisted:

Well, everyones made some valid points.

how about we compromise, for those who want abit of scenic drive, they can have a 15min headstart on the freeway guys and then join up at some twin servo...hows dat sound???

[KittyKatSmack]

why not compromise like this:

get everyone on the highway up to Newcastle for the liquid lunch, as per original spec (as I thought)

and those that want curvy and bumpy can do so on the way back?

most people will have enough of an idea of where they are in the world so they dont get geographically embarrassed.....

keep everyone together and looking schmick for the trip towards NewieDat, and let everyone split up for the trip home......

everyone gets a bit of everything that way

I don't want to see this cruise fall apart, Sabrelli and ahb11m have both done lots of work to make it happen and the support the cruise has received has been fantastic.

Mik and Rod and others with particularly low cars and sweet paintwork (noice moite :wink: ) will not want to be seen as the cause of splitting the group up into two seperate groups, and I for one will not take my "STOCK" astina out in a group where I will get the ****s with one of my best friends on the forum for a stone chip.... I have enough of those b@stards as it is to bemoan my paintwork and wish for a respray!!!!!

I suggest keep everyone together until after lunch (and photo's) then offer the alternative routes for the funtrips back home......

What do you all think?

[arden]

Kitty ,
thinkin wot u just said...yeh. last thing we need is if one group doesnt turn up in time or whatever and then we have agitated ppl before even getting to newie.

ok so ppls, ignore that suggestion i made about 2 groups.

[KittyKatSmack]

Coolies!!!

So now to keep everyone on board with the trip on the highway to get to destination........

There is no reason the maps that ahb11m provided still can't be used to find a fun route home for those wanting one, the tough part is narrowing it down to one!!!

:lol:

[arden]

well all i really wanna see is the large contingent of astinas/proteges travelling in one big group!WHAT A SIGHT it will be!!!!! :lol:

[MrShadow]

why not compromise like this:

get everyone on the highway up to Newcastle for the liquid lunch, as per original spec (as I thought)

Kitty, I've just read three pages of posts, and I was dying to say what you've said, but thought I'd wait till I've read them all so I don't make an ass of myself.

I agree that we probably should take the F3 North (although, like ahb11m, I drive the F3 too many times a week (Gosford to Newcastle about 3-4 times a week, sometimes 6)).

In regards to road status, from the Central Coast (well, Toukley at any rate), the Pacific Highway is a smooth (mostly), well maintained road. It may get worse coming into Newcastle, but nothing as bad as some Sydney "main" roads, or most roads on the Central Coast. On that note, if you're all afraid of a few bumps or stone chips, I wouldn't go anywhere NEAR Terrigal/Gosford/The Entrance. Stay on the F3.

Also, it may be easier to keep everyone together on the F3, but we have to get onto local roads sometime, which means some get caught at lights, some go the wrong way etc. No matter what, we are going to get broken up.

And if people are really desperate to take the Pacific Highway North, they can always meet us at Newcastle, I mean, we are meeting some guys from Newcastle up there aren't we? If they (people coming up from Syd via Pcific Highway) don't get up the Pacific Highway into Newcastle in time, well... ..|.. :wink:

Oh, Kitty, is that Mila in your Avatar? Possibly a shot from Res Evil?

[platypus]

i'm not giving up on you i have drawn you a new road, no bumps this time


this will give you an easy drive, red dots are thornleigh, newcastle, and terrigal... Blue dot is fuel stop if anyone forgot to before hand.... this route is easy to ditch from newcastle if you don't want to run, have family commitments, whatever

also if anyone wants it the raw map is available through this linky http://www.mazdamp3.com/members/ahb11m/map2.jpg

jj, i can do that at home, and not drive.... but we'll see, i'm still undecided

ps bumble hill is wicked as, i decided to drive it today anyway, too good a drive to pass up, and we would of had to stagger people descending that hill ala rally style, is the best road i know of, but its narrow its twisty, and is best enjoyed over 60km/h (although suicidal!!)
that drive is ok until you hit central mangrove, where the road is a bit crumbly on the edges, but well worth the hike if you have time.... single lane road until calga, where there is 2 lanes up until peats ridge (which is the next off ramp)

all those who said it could be scary on that road, you'll be happy to know i love tapped a goat.... silly billy ops:

[Critter]

I'll go wherever we go, whatever.....

BUT, after the Ulladulla cruise, it would be just SO GOOD to get 25 or so Astinas all in a line on the freeway or wherever.

[KittyKatSmack]

so.....

from the looks of your map, we are taking the F3 up to Newcastle, and coming back via pacific highway?

great idea!!

why didn't I think of that!!!

:lol:



(Glad you like the new avatar Shads!)

[JynX]

Originally Posted by Laser the Amazer

who is it from fordlaser.com???

coming together very nicely guys....well done

Robert

Demon TX3
Can he hitch with you Laser?

[KittyKatSmack]

i love tapped a goat

some people will do anything for a good time and a quick feel......

:shock:

and we thought Jimbo was bad!!!

:lol:

[platypus]

ahem... i am jimbo!! (think...) and goats are funny... man they are really scared of my exhaust.... i sat and accidentally blipped the gas, and they ran away!!

yes KKS, that is the way, pacific highway the only bit of roughness is just south of newcastle, past catherine hill bay.... but nothing below the standards of sydney roads, just a coarse blacktop....

[bRaDiNhO]

Ah ****e, just wrote an essay of a post and lost it.

Sabrelli and AHB - just decide on the best route between u and post it. Those who don't like it don't come. Too hard arguing about it and theres always gonna be two sides.

My suggestion - Take F3 to Brooklyn exit, as it is 3 lanes, 110kmh all the way to that point, but roadworks, 2 lane merges, and lower speed limit occur just after (which is where we have probs in terms of gettin split). Then Pac Hwy up to Gosford - this is the best bit, and has no lights, roundabouts and 80kmh limit most of the way etc (unlike B4 Brooklyn where you must pass through residential areas - 60kmh, get split by lights etc) I think this is fair compromise - road is fine, trip time still close to being as short as possible, and neither on hwy or freeway whole time. There is a rest stop section just at Brroklyn exit where we can regroup if we lose ppl also.

[platypus]

i'm happy to do that bradinho, but not everyone else is...

i'm thinking kitty's idea might be the way... drive bored up to newcastle, and then do the fun cruise on the way HOME
so what i think i might do is re-trek north so that meself and anyone else interested can see the fun that is bumble hill - which is in no way intended for the feint hearted!!!
or i'll just drive the old road back to thornleigh

[platypus]

And this is a pic of what it should look like at thornleigh!!!



borrowed from astina WA....

[KittyKatSmack]

Nice pics of Sparkle Greeners, LOL!

This time there will be more SP20's than BA's though :lol:


I would just like to point out that 20+ cars in one cruise will not be bored, even if it is on the F3 all the way......... and if you are, you aren't enjoying the moment.

This is a social event, not a hill climb or a test of driving skills.
Personally, I do not want to love tap a goat after my BA went head to head with a Rabbit, and we still aren't sure who won......... long story :wink: :lol:

Think about it though... your passengers are going to enjoy the photo op's, there will be some light hearted face pulling (read: clowning) and you probably won't be next to the same car for more than a 20 or 30 minute stint.

Everyone can take a turn up the front, coz you can't get lost on a freeway, and that is good for morale too. There will need to be a couple of cars designated to pull the rest of us in line when we get too silly or too fast. None of us wants to lose our licenses, or have the cruise ruined by a mass pull over and some cop defecting us.

It isn't about who can go fastest anyway, it's about fun!
(not all of us have sunroof's to hang out of JJ and Bek, LOL)

And there will need to be maps for the route into Newcastle because there is no way you can keep that many cars together in a built up area. We will get separated
Can I suggest a place to meet up for the final cruise into town?
There is a HUGE carpark at Bar Beach, and then a nice narrow road along the shoreline to get to the main part of the city.

I would also like to suggest that wherever we go for lunch, bookings for this many people might be not only polite, but essential.

I would recommend the Brewery, because although it is a popular spot, and there are a lot of cars there, there is also a lot of parking. Not only a small parking lot, but street parking too. Unless someone can come up with something better, I can't really come up with much better at this point. (brain fart!) :roll:

On a Final note (at last, getting rsi here!) we have a Jimbo (JynX) and a James (ahb11m) do we have any other doubles and do we have a better way of telling them apart besides Gay Jimbo and Goat Jimbo????

:lol: :lol: :lol: